luther king, by a stubborn adherence to the notion that we are all created equal and that we deserve nothing less than a great republic, worthy of our consent. the theme of this year's inaugural is faith in america's future. the perfect embodiment of this unshakable confidence in the ongoing success of our collective journey is in a page from our past. i speak of the improbable completion of the capitol dome and capping it with the statue of freedom which occurred 150 years ago in 1863, when abraham lincoln took office two years earlier, the dome above us was a half built eyesore. conventional wisdom was that it should be left unfinished until the war ended. given the travails and financial needs of the times. but to president lincoln, and have finished dome symbolize that divided nation. lincoln said of people see the capital going on, it is a sign we, the union, shall go on. and so, despite the conflict that engulfed the nation and surrounded the city, the dome continues to rise. on december 2, 1863, the statute of of woman was placed atop the dome where she still stands today. in